The Ocarina of Time: a novelization
by Jiro
Summary: It's been a while but chapter 5 is up! Link and Navi have started on their journey into the Great Deku Tree only to find one of Link's biggest fears within. Will he be able to conquer his fears in order to save the Great Deku Tree?
1. Prologue

**I've gotta say…I've been wanting to do this for a long time. I just didn't seem to want to start it. That is until I read the novelization by Oni-Gil. I think that is where I got my inspiration to write this story. It might seem hypocritical considering the fact that I am also writing bloopers for this game and now I'm writing a serious novel but hey…what can you do. I don't own Legend of Zelda and I envy the man who does…but I will try to do the game justice with this story.**

**Prologue**

Hyrule. This mystical kingdom stands as the departure point of the three Goddesses of Creation. Separated into seven realms, this land holds and nurtures all seven powers of nature.

The castle town of Hyrule's royalty holds the powers of time in its ancient temple.

The rolling fields of Hyrule are protected by the sun, whose light ceases to shine only when night falls and the moon rises.

The roaring fires of Death Mountain, the only active volcano left in this peaceful land, are cared for by the rock consuming Gorons.

Kakariko Village, home of the Shiekah, is where the secrets of the shadows are kept.

Lake Hylia, protected by the fish-like Zora, is the largest source of pure water in the kingdom.

The dry desert of the Gerudo Valley, inhabited only by the female band of thieves sharing the valley's name, houses the spirits of the dead.

And the Kokiri Forest, named after the children of the woods, is the source of all life in Hyrule. Here the Kokiri live in peaceful seclusion from the rest of Hyrule, living out their eternal lives granted to them by the guardian of the forest, the Great Deku Tree…

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"In the vast, deep forest of Hyrule...long have I served as the guardian spirit...I am known as the Deku Tree...the children of the forest, the Kokiri, live here with me. Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian fairy. However, there is one boy who does not have a fairy..."

"Navi…Navi where art thou? Come hither…" A small blue ball of light no larger than a child's hand, a pair of wings the only distinguishing trait, flew to the Great Deku Tree. "Oh Navi the fairy…listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree. Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm? Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule…

For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world…but…before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing…"

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_The sun has set, the moon has risen, and the entire forest lies asleep under a blanket of stars. Giant stone walls can be seen in the distance. All beings of the forest know what lies beyond those impassable barriers. The wide, empty garden of the Great Deku Tree separated from the rest of the forest lies still in the night air. Here the only tree can be found that does not slumber, for the Great Deku Tree knows what is to come._

_Foot steeps are heard, faint at first but growing louder as a large figure stomps across the grass. This evil man is here to collect, and he will do anything to acquire the object of his desire. Stepping fearlessly into the garden of the large guardian, the malicious man stands homuncular compared to the mountainous tree._

_"Give it to me!" A deep commanding voice echoes through the still night air. The dark figure with black armor stands oppressively next to the looming figure of the Great Deku Tree. "Give me the Spiritual Stone!"_

_"I know not what makes you think I have or know of such a thing," the tree states defiantly. "I am the guardian of this forest and just wish to live here in peace with the Kokiri I nurture. I have no use nor need for such an item."_

_Growing angry now, the dark figure raises a fist to the giant guardian. "Curse you! I will rule the world one day…but you…you and your beloved Kokiri won't be here to see it!" With that, he calls upon a stream of dark energy which surrounds him as he directs it toward the Great Deku Tree. The powerful guardian summons a whirlwind to deflect the dark magick. As the two powers meet a small cyclone of wind and darkness envelops the garden, consuming both The Great Deku Tree and his oppressor. The cyclone shrinks, as if some form of gravity is forcing it to implode; but then the wind dissipates, unable to withstand the power of this dark being, leaving a clear path for the man's magick. The dark aura crashes into the tree, delivering pain throughout his old bark._

_When the attack is over, the tree lies still and quiet but not yet dead. "Well…you were able to counter my spell and survive my attack. There is no doubt in my mind; you carry the Sacred Stone of the Forest granted by Farore." The man pulls a small glass bottle with a strange one eyed arachnid within from the folds of his leather shirt. Walking calmly up to the tree, he pulls the cork and lets the parasite crawl onto its bark. Quickly, it burrows through the bark and into the hollow core to escape recapture._

_"You should not have defied me, old one," the man says as he re-corks the bottle. "Now you shall die a slow, painful death…" The man walks away with his sackcloth cloak drifting behind him in the gentle night breeze. He saunters back through the village of the sleeping Kokiri, his dark deeds nearly complete._

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"It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and fruition. Navi…go now! Find our young friend and guide him to me…I do not have much time left." The fairy flew away down the path leading to the Kokiri's small forest village. "Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world depends upon thee!"

**So how did I do? Remember, I'm writing this as a play the game. I'm not going to turn this into a walkthrough or a strategy guide but I will get help from online guides created by fans of the game. Don't worry; I will give full credit at the end of the chapter if I used their guides as references. Please review and let me know how I'm doing. Thanks and I'll have the next chapter, The Kokiri Forest and the Boy without a Fairy, up soon.**


	2. The Kokiri Forest and the Boy

**Since the events between the opening movie and seeing the Great Deku Tree are few, I have been able to upload this new chapter quite quickly. Anyway, I don't own LoZ but I can still write about it. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

**The Kokiri Forest and the Boy without a Fairy**

Navi flew quickly down the path toward the forest village of the Kokiri. _This boy must be very important if the Deku Tree has summoned him,_ Navi thought to herself. Speeding to the end of the path, she ducked under the legs of Mido, the Kokiri's greatest, and most egotistical, fighter. Searching the forest quickly, she spotted many of the Kokiri, but they all had fairies. Then she realized something…she had never actually met the boy without a fairy of his own. She was always too busy working for the Great Deku Tree.

She flew around the whole village: near the shop, around Mido's house, the edge of the Lost Woods, and by the Forest Training Grounds. It was not easy to discern one Kokiri from the others. All of them had golden yellow hair, deep red eyes, and wore a green tunic, the symbol of the forest children. Even their houses looked similar. Large, hollowed out tree stumps turned into large wooden houses where they all lived and slept. Frustration started to well inside her as she was sure she looked in every one. She was about to scream when she saw the one tree house she had not yet checked. Like the boy, it was different than all the others as it was the only house that wasn't at ground level. Her irritation dissipated as she decided that the boy must be there.

Quickly, Navi flew toward a hole in the gate between the training grounds and the tree house. Due to her haste, however, she misjudged her flight and slammed into the gate itself. _Ugh, oh… that hurt._ Shaking off the pain, she flew, slower this time, through the hole and through the open curtain the owner used as a door.

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_It was dark…too dark to for him to see anything more than an inch in front of him. Slowly, however, a light illuminated himself and the ground about a foot around him. Looking up he saw the source of that light. A small round ball with wings was floating just over his shoulder._

_"What could this be?" the boy thought. "Is this, is this a fairy?" Suddenly two more lights appeared to his right. These lights were different though. They flickered and danced as the rain pummeled them from above. "Torches," the boy decided, "and big ones at that." He could make out some of his surroundings now. The torches were mounted on an enormous stone wall surrounded by a large stream flowing with clear water. Between the torches was an equally large wooden section of the wall._

_"Where am I?" the boy pondered. Just as he asked, the wooden wall fell toward the stream and crashed on the ground ahead of him. This was no wall; it was a bridge suspended by two large metal chains leading over the water and passed the wall._

_The sound of hooves could be heard coming from across the bridge. Without warning, a large horse, as white as the full moon, galloped toward him. Dodging to the side, he turned and saw the rider, a large, muscular, woman with white hair wearing a blue outfit. She was carrying something, no, someone. A smaller, more aristocratic looking girl, and obviously much younger, "Almost the same age as me."_

_As quickly as they disappeared, another horse and rider appeared. This horse was dark and as malevolent looking as its rider. The huge hulking man, bigger than any he had ever seen before, turned to him, an evil smile curling its way across his lips._

_He was scared, more so than he had ever felt before. Yet he did not run. He stood his ground, their eyes locking…_

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The boy yelped in his sleep like any child would. Tears began to trickle down his cheeks and his body shivered uncontrollably. Unable to control her curiosity, Navi forgot her duties for a second and wondered what the boy could be dreaming to force him to act in such a manner. Remembering what she came there for, she shook her head and attempted to wake the boy.

"Hello…wake up! The Great Deku Tree wants to talk to you!" The boy just turned his head in his sleep, reluctant to awaken. "Hey! C'mon!" _What could the Great Deku Tree see in this boy?_ Navi thought bitterly, immediately deciding she disliked him. "Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy!" she cried out in frustration.

As if to disprove the fairy, the boy sprang up out of bed and yawned widely. Rubbing the sleep and the remainder of his tears away, he straightened up and sat on the edge of his bed. "You finally woke up!" a voice called to his left. Startled, he jumped out of bed and waved his hands accidentally smacking Navi across the room, "Ahhh!" Looking up he saw a fairy and realized it must have been the source of the voice.

"Ahh, I'm so sorry!" he apologized sincerely. "It's just that, you startled me…wait…YOU'RE A FAIRY! I HAVE A FAIRY!"

"Well you're about as sharp as a marble there aren't you?" Navi retorted sarcastically. "I'm Navi the fairy…and you are?"

"Link!" the boy answered excitedly, clearly oblivious of Navi's sarcasm, "nice to meet you!"

"Hello. Now, the Great Deku Tree asked me to escort you to him. He has summoned you! So let's get going, right now!"

"Right!" Link replied enthusiastically. "The Great Deku Tree really wants to meet me?"

"Yes, now come on!" Navi ordered. _What a pain. I hope the Great Deku Tree was right about this one._

Link rushed to his door and onto the balcony outside. Taking in a deep breath of the fresh Forest air, he looked around at the rest of the village. The lines of wooden houses that stretched the length of the village gleamed in the morning sun as the dew had not yet evaporated. Next to his house, a single Kokiri practiced in the Forest Training Grounds meant for the Kokiri warriors, of which there were few left. The stream at one end of the village could be heard as it trickled and weaved around the rocks breaking its surface. The air, as always, was filled with the magical energy emanating from the father of all Kokiri, the Great Deku Tree.

"Yahoo!" Hearing the familiar voice of his best friend, Link looked down and saw Saria running toward the base of the ladder leading up to his home, her uncharacteristic green hair and emerald tunic flowing in the gentle breeze. "Hi, Link!" she greeted him with a smile and a wave.

Waving back, Link called to her, "Hey Saria!" Moving back toward his door, Link dashed for his ladder, but bypassed it completely and jumped through the air to the ground. Distressed, Navi followed quickly and attempted to slow his decent by grabbing the back of his tunic. Touching the ground softly, Link turned to Navi and asked, "What'd you do that for?"

"What are you crazy jumping off the balcony like that! If something happens to you…" Navi stopped as Saria came closer to them.

"Wow a fairy!" she cried in bliss. "Finally, a fairy came to you, Link! Wow!" she exclaimed again with a giggle, "That's great news! I'm so happy for you! Now you're a true Kokiri Link!"

"Thanks Saria," Link said in a proud voice. "Her name's Navi. Navi, this is my best friend Saria."

"Navi?" Saria repeated in shock.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she assured, shaking her head.

"Well, I got to get going; The Great Deku Tree summoned me."

"Is that right?" she asked. As the oldest of the Kokiri at 349 years of age, she too had been asked to see the Great Deku Tree before. "It's quite an honor to talk to the Great Deku Tree. I'll wait for you here. Get going! Go see the Great Deku Tree!"

With a smile and a wink, Link bade Saria farewell as he ran passed her toward the garden of the Deku Tree.

**Well my first chapter, outside the prologue, is complete. You're probably thinking this is starting kind of slow…and it is. But, so did the game. The actual action should start in Chapter 4. In the next chapter, Link finds his first set of weaponry, the Kokiri Sword, and the Deku Shield. Don't miss the next chapter. See you round, and please, review with any comments, criticism, or concern.**


	3. The Kokiri Sword and the Deku Shield

**Well, I guess it will be easier to upload chapters than I thought. Well here is chapter 2. I don't own LoZ and hate to admit it. But the truth must be revealed! Yeah um anyway…enjoy.**

**The Kokiri Sword and the Deku Shield**

Link continued passed Saria's house which was right next to his own but stopped. Seeing another of his friends pulling weeds in front of Saria's house, he went over to talk to him. "What's up Lennie?" he asked.

"That meanie, Mido, made me cut the grass at Saria's house. Mido told Saria he'd do it so she would like him, but I'm the one doing all the work!" Lennie protested. "You and Saria are close friends, so will you help me? I'll let you keep anything that you find while cutting it."

"I'm sorry Lennie, I would but I can't," Link replied solemnly. "I don't have anything to cut it with."

"Oh, okay. Thanks anyway."

Link walked backward and slowly turned around. He was disappointed that he couldn't help his friend but there was nothing he could do. "Hey! Listen!" Navi said to him in aggravation. "You don't have time to fraternize with every Kokiri. The Great Deku Tree has summoned you! Please come with me!"

With that, Navi flew off toward a hole in the rock wall surrounding the village. Link jumped over the stream on the small mossy island that stuck out in the middle of the clear water and headed for the path. Navi flew straight over Mido, who was still guarding the path, but Link stopped at Mido's raised hand.

"Hey you 'Mr. No Fairy'! What's your business with the Great Deku Tree? Without a fairy, you're not even a real Kokiri!" Mido chided.

As if on cue, Navi zoomed back over Mido's head, stopping in front of Link. "What happened? What are you waiting for?"

Link looked Mido in the face with a half smile, "You were saying?" Then to Navi he said, "Mido won't let me through." Now really ticked off, the light around Navi turned a violent, crimson red. She turned to Mido ready to shout.

"What? You've got a fairy?" Mido asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" Navi shouted. "And we're on our way to see the Great Deku Tree!"

"Say what! Why would he summon you and not the great Mido? This isn't funny…"

"You're right," Link agreed. "It's about as funny as you are great. Now if you don't mind…" Link tried to step passed him but Mido stopped him again.

"You aren't even fully equipped yet! How do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree without both a sword and shield ready?"

"Well, then why would he summon you anyway?" Link countered. "You don't have either of those!"

"What? You're right; I don't have my equipment ready, but…" Mido was at a loss of words, and hated the fact that Link got the better of him. "If you want to pass through here, you should at least equip a sword and shield! Sheesh!"

Seeing that nothing would change his mind, Link turned away and hopped back to the center island in the middle of the stream. "Now what?" he consulted Navi.

"What do you think?" she asked caustically. "You find a sword and shield. You could probably buy a shield from the shop for say…fifty rupees."

"Fifty rupees!" Link asked, amazed at the steep price. "I've never even had _half_ that much in my life! Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?"

"You don't know much do you?" Navi asked. "Check in high grass and weeds, people drop them there sometimes. If you smash some rocks open, you'll probably find some fragments in them."

"Really?" Link asked. He had never heard that before.

"Yes. The jewel fragments found in rocks are what most rupees are made from," Navi informed him. "Most shops accept the fragments; they weigh them in the shop you know. If that doesn't work, you could always ask the other Kokiri for a loan."

"That's not a bad idea," Link said. "Follow me." He jumped to the bank of the stream and headed for the twin's house. "The twins love to shop so they'll probably have some extra rupees." Entering the house with the split roof, Link noticed that only one of the twins was home.

"Hey Melody!" he called to the younger twin. After she replied he asked if he could borrow some rupees if they had any to spare.

"Sure," she said without hesitation. "My sister took most of them to the shop across the stream, but there should still be a few left. Check inside those pots." She indicated the two clay pots lying on the floor behind Link.

Thanking her, he walked to the first one and stuck his hand inside. "I can't reach," he complained, "my arms too short."

"Just flip it over and they'll fall out," Melody offered.

Withdrawing his arm, Link grabbed the pot and turned it upside down. He lost his grip though, and the pot fell, shattering on the floor. "Ahh! I'm so sorry!" Link apologized.

With an exasperated voice Melody replied, "Eh, it's okay…that pot didn't cost much anyway…just take the rupee and go okay?"

Link had completely forgotten about the reason he went there until she said that. Link grabbed the single green rupee and left the house quickly.

Outside, Navi asked, "Are you always that graceful?"

Laughing, Link continued passed Saria's house when he got an idea. "Hey! Mido likes Saria. Maybe if Saria talks to him, he'll let us through."

Navi was actually impressed with the boy, "That's not a bad idea…at least we won't have to go around looking for rupees all day."

Link headed for his house, hoping that Saria was still there. When he saw her fairy, Link felt a bit of gratitude for Saria even before he asked her. Sliding down the hill to his house, he called out to her as he stopped, "Hey Saria!"

Saria turned around at the sound of his voice, "Back so soon?"

"Mido won't let me through without a sword and shield."

"What! Ohh…that bum! I don't know why he's always so mean to everyone!" In a calmer voice she continued, "What he said is right though. The forest…strange things have been happening here lately…

You need to be ready for anything. You'd better find a weapon! You can buy a shield at the shop, but there is only one sword hidden somewhere in the forest."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Link remembered as he looked at the drawing he made at the bottom of his tree home. "The one the legendary Kokiri used to defeat that monster 500 years ago right?"

"Yep, legend says it was forged by the Goddess Farore to protect the forest. It's supposed to be around here somewhere."

"I forgot about that story," Navi admitted. "Didn't he die after the battle?"

"Yeah," Saria confirmed somberly. "His fairy was killed so he died too. After all, a Kokiri's life is bound to his fairy's. If one dies, the other dies."

"But it was just a legend," Navi protested. "There's no guarantee it's actually true."

"Well it's better than nothing right?" Link asked. Saying goodbye again, Link went off toward the other end of the village. After crawling around in the high grass and talking to the other Kokiri he met, Link had half of the rupees needed to buy the shield. Heading up to the Forest Training Grounds, he realized that the Kokiri he saw training earlier was near the wall at the end.

Link called out to him and asked to borrow some money. The boy agreed but only if he would show him an attack roll, a side jump, and a back flip. Link agreed and jogged over to him, hopping the fences that separated each area. After demonstrating each one, he asked Link to repeat the steps. Link successfully completed each one but it left him dizzy and off balance. The boy gave him a blue rupee (worth 5 greens) and bet him another four that he couldn't fit through the hole at the base of the wall behind him.

Taking the bet, Link bent over and crawled through the hole, Navi flying ahead of him. "We don't have time for this!"

"Well you said to make some money for the shield right? He bet me 4 rupees!" Reaching the other side of the wall, Link stood up and looked around for evidence that he had made it. "Whew, that was a tight squeeze. Now let me just grab a blade of grass for proof and…" He stopped as the sound of something big moving near by reached his ear. Looking to his left, Link saw a large brown boulder rolling in his direction.

"Link, back in the hole!" Navi ordered. Paralyzed in fear, Link just stood there, mouth agape, as the boulder came closer. Navi grabbed the collar of his tunic and pulled but to no avail, Link still didn't move. Just as it looked as if the boulder would crush them, the boulder turned and headed down another passage. Link and Navi relaxed as the adrenaline slowly drained from their bodies. "You don't just stand there when danger approaches!" Navi shouted. "If anything happens to you, the Great Deku Tree would exile me from the forest. And if you get me killed, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life!"

Suddenly Link realized that this was the reason she grabbed him when he jumped off his balcony earlier…she wasn't worried about him…only herself. Suppressing his tears, Link smiled and said, "Sorry Navi, I won't do that again. Trust me." The boulder then appeared again in front of them. Link watched it roll away then ran after it, keeping his distance just in case it stopped. It turned another corner so he did the same.

After it turned again, Link went after it but Navi noticed a large wooden chest on a stump in an alcove to the right. Calling to Link and turning green to catch his attention, she flew toward the chest. Link heard her and immediately ran for the alcove. "I didn't know you could change colors like that."

"I needed to get your attention. Did you notice something about that boulder?" she asked as the boulder passed the alcove again. At the blank stare from Link she continued. "It keeps moving around in circles. Normal boulders roll down hill, but that one is going in the same path." Link continued to stare at Navi, unsure at what she was getting at. "I'll bet it was enchanted and put here to keep anyone from discovering this chest."

"Oh I get it!" Link said at last. "There must be something really good in there. Here, let me look." Navi flew out of the way and Link lifted the top of the creaking old chest. A green light flowed out of the chest making it impossible to see inside. Pulling himself up onto the edge of the chest, he felt around for what ever the chest contained. Link suddenly climbed out of the chest holding a small blade with a wooden handle, too small for any adult.

"It's the Kokiri sword!" Navi said incredulously. "The legend was true."

"There's even a sheath I can sling over my shoulder for easy access." Link put the leather belt over his head and under his arm, and resheathed the sword. The sheath itself was painted blue wood with a leather tip at the end. Feeling proud of himself, Link stated, "Well that's one out of two. C'mon let's go collect the money from the bet."

The next half hour, Link spent looking for money. He helped one of his friends move the rocks Mido ordered him to get rid of outside his house and even collected some rupees from the chests inside. Link had found two blue and one green rupee from the first three chests. He would have looked in the fourth, but he didn't want to tick Mido off too much. He also climbed Saria's house and walked along a small plank bridge to a platform one of his friends was standing on and she gave him another blue rupee as congratulations for finally getting a fairy.

"I finally have enough!" Link proclaimed. "Let's go Navi!" With that, he jumped off the platform but Navi caught him again and let him down gently. "Oh right," Link said quietly, "I forgot."

Jumping across the stones in the stream, Link reached the shop at last. After saying hello to a Kokiri girl sitting on top of the awning above the door, he went inside. The shop inside the Kokiri Forest was the easiest place to find. Compared to all the rest, it is the only building with a red roof, and unlike the others is stark white.

Inside, Link saw the older of the twins was still shopping. He said hello and walked to the counter. "How can I help you?" another Kokiri asked, as he repeatedly jumped up and down so he could see over the counter.

"I need a deku shield," Link said plainly.

"Righto," the Kokiri replied. He walked over to the shelves and jumped up to grab the wooden shield off the top shelf. As he hopped back to the counter, he said, "Made from the Great Deku Tree's own bark, only forty rupees."

Link's mouth opened wide and he looked up at Navi, eye twitching. "You hear that? _Forty_ rupees…only _forty_ rupees."

"Hey you can't expect me to know everything can you?"

Link paid the clerk and fastened the shield to his back, over the sword. "Okay, now, let's go see the Great Deku Tree!"

**THE END! No I'm kidding. Long chapter yes I know…I often have problems with length. Either it's too short or too long. Any way I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter, The Great Deku Tree and the Kokiri Emerald will be uploaded soon…I hope. Please review with any comments, concerns, or criticism.**


	4. The Great Deku Tree and the Curse Within

**Hello everyone. I only have one review so far but I'm gonna keep on writing. Well regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter as the action will start here. I also changed the title of the chapter a little bit as I made it a little shorter. And I don't own LoZ…though I would love to.**

**The Great Deku Tree and the Curse Within**

**"**Eh, what's that?" Mido stared dumbly at the shield Link presented. "Oh you have a deku shield…and what's THAT!" he nearly shouted as Link drew his new weapon, its blade gleaming as it caught the sun's rays. "Is that the Kokiri Sword? GOOD GRIEF!" Mido grabbed his head in his hands at the sight of the legendary weapon. _How did he get that weapon! Only a true warrior should have been able to find it!_ Link who was enjoying watching Mido squirm ceased to make a sound. Instead he just stared with a wide smile as his rival squirmed in envy. Finally Mido stopped wriggling and stood straight up pointing accusingly at Link. "Well, even with all that stuff, a wimp is till a wimp. I, the Great Mido, will never accept you as one of us!" With that, he stepped reluctantly out of the way. As he walked by, Link could see that Mido was frowning; it looked like he could start to cry at any moment.

Stepping quickly past Mido, Link was finally on the way to the Great Deku Tree's garden. "I…almost feel sorry for him," Link admitted. "But this is my chance. The Great Deku Tree summoned me. Now I can prove to Mido and the rest that I am a true Kokiri!"

_This brat actually isn't all that bad…_thought Navi, a new adoration for the boy growing within her. Then they heard the voice of Mido back down the passage. "Shoot! How did he get to be the favorite of Saria _and_ the Great Deku Tree huh?" This news melted away Link's thoughts to prove himself as he learned that he was Saria's favorite. Link's face turned as red as a ripe apple. He leaped into the air and let out a victorious woot as he fell to the ground on his back. Link just lied there starring up into the clear sky, his eyes entering a dream-like state as his mind gave him the impression that he was floating. _Okay, he is that bad…what an idiot!_ Waking him from his trance abruptly, she pulled him to his feet and shoved him down the path, reminding him of his audience with the Great Deku Tree, all reverence for the boy lost.

His mind back on the Deku Tree's summoning, Link ran down the path a bit to compensate for the time he spent day dreaming. Navi sped after him as she remembered the threats near the end of the path. "Watch out!" she screamed.

Link halted his advance at Navi's behest. "What is it? Whoa!" Link fell backward as the weeds in front of him burst out of the soil. Navi grabbed the back of Link's green tunic and pulled him up to his feet again. "What are those things?" he inquired tensely as he got a better look at his attacker. From his decumbent view, it seemed as if the monster's stiff stems reached up into the heavens as if its round, purple head were praying to the goddesses. Its head, or at least that's what it seemed like to him, snapped what sounded like jaws over and over again as it circled on it's stem like a wild animal attempting to release itself from captivity.

"It's called a Deku Baba…don't let its withered look fool you, if you touch it, you'll get hurt." Navi remembered flying over them earlier when she first went to seek out Link. She had gotten a little to close to them and almost wound up a small snack for the venus flytrap-like plant. Of course, her pride kept her from disclosing this information to Link, but she secretly feared the plants.

"So what do I do?" Link asked, still in awe at the creature's appearance. He had never encountered monsters or beasts in the village so he had no idea as to how he could proceed.

"They're just giant weeds," Navi explained. "Use your imagination."

Understanding her advice, he unsheathed his sword and cut the first one down. It soared through the air due to its sudden release from the impermeable earth. Boring into the ground on impact, its stem became stiff as it was trapped once again. "Hurry," Navi urged him, "they'll grow back quickly. Cut the rest down!" Link continued to run and slash passed the patch of Deku Babas. As he cut the last one down, Navi grabbed the stem of the decapitated opponent, creating a soft pop as she tore the stem free from its grounded head.

"What's that for?" Link queried.

"These are deku sticks. They're not much in the way of weapons but they have various other uses," Navi explained as she handed Link the stem. "Now hurry, we want to get out of here before they grow back."

Nodding in agreement, Link grabbed the deku stick and fitted it between his sword and shield. They continued down the path and finally arrived at the garden of the Great Deku Tree.

"Great Deku Tree…I'm back!" Navi said as she entered the area. She flew up to the titanous plant leaving a wide eyed, bewildered Link with his mouth hanging open.

"Oh…Navi…thou hast returned," the Great Deku Tree speculated weakly. Then, addressing the boy clad in green, "Link…" Link shot up about two feet as the Great Deku Tree mentioned his name. A small amount of bile reached his throat that he swallowed back down. _Uh-oh…what did I do? I wish Saria warned me about this…he's…huge!_ "Welcome…" The color slowly replenished in Link's face as he realized he wasn't in trouble.

"Get over here!" Navi called to the boy. Sweat now pouring down his neck and back, he took his first actual step into the garden that was easily big enough to fit the entire Kokiri village. "Don't be rude. Stand up straight, look him in the face when he's talking to you, and don't interrupt. sigh I should have went over this with you earlier."

The Great Deku Tree ignored the events that occurred in front of him and continued. "Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee…" Amazed at how gentle the Great Deku Tree's voice was despite his size, Link began to relax. He also noticed that he was a very old tree. The lines in his bark ran deep, giving him the look of a wrinkled old man. He even sported, what looked like a bushy mustache just above a small crevice that Link decided must have been his mouth. Even his eyes seemed glazed over as if many mornings of dew settled there and never evaporated with the day's sunlight. His bark was old and grey, not the brown color he'd seen on the other trees in the forest. The leaves that were covered by the clouds even looked pale from where he stood. _He's sick,_ Link thought to himself. "Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares…" the Deku Tree continued. "As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it…verily, thou hast felt it…" _How…how does he know?_ Link wanted so badly to ask the question aloud but his voice had failed him.

"Link, the time has come to test thy courage…" the Great Deku Tree concluded. "I have been cursed…I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to accept this task?" The question hung in the air. How could he, a boy who had taken a sword up only once in his life, a boy who until recently never knew monsters existed, a boy who just received a fairy partner that should have been provided at birth, a boy with no training, no wisdom to share, and no courage that he was aware of, help break a curse on easily the most powerful being in the forest.

_This is the chance I've been waiting for,_ he thought to himself, _the chance to prove myself to the other Kokiri, the chance to prove myself to Navi, the chance to prove myself to the whole forest. I had the courage to stand in my dream…I'll find the courage to do help the Deku Tree in reality._ "I accept this task," Link answered confidently. "I will break the curse cast upon you."

"Then enter, brave Link, and thou too, Navi…" the Great Deku Tree said admirably. The crevice below his mustache widened a little. Then it lowered to the ground. It seemed Link was correct; the crevice was indeed his mouth, which was now opened wide, waiting for the boy and his fairy to enter. "Navi the fairy…thou must aid Link…and Link…when Navi speaks, listen well to her words of wisdom."

Turning to each other for strength, Link and Navi entered the Great Deku Tree, ready for anything that came their way.

**I'm sorry this took so long. This isn't that interesting of a chapter and I apologize for that. For those of you that like action however, you'll love the next chapter, New Challenges and the Leap of Faith.** **Please review…having only one so far is quite depressing, especially since one of my other stories has almost half the hits of this one and 7 reviews.**


	5. New Challanges and the Leap of Faith

**I'm sorry it took so long for me to continue this story. I don't know why I slacked off on it but I will try to update sooner in the future. Thank you for the few of you who actually reviewed and I hope to hear from you in the future. Well I hope you like this next chapter in the story…oh and I don' t own LoZ or any of it's characters or games.**

**New Challenges and the Leap of Faith**

"Wow," Link commented as he looked up into the Great Deku Tree's core. Here, Link finally understood how vast the Great Deku Tree was. "You could put every house in the village in here and you'd still have room for more."

"Would you please be a little more respectful," Navi chastised. "The only ones allowed inside the Great Deku Tree are a precious few fairies and newborn Kokiris."

"Really? I always thought the Kokiri sprouted from the ground like the rest of the plants." Navi gave a small sigh in disbelief of Link's own ignorance as to how he was born. "So…let's get a better look of the place." Link stepped forward into the center of the Deku Tree looking up the whole time. There were many spider webs, especially near the top. A couple of platforms were outlined the better portion of the circumference of the tree as well. "Lot of vines growing on the walls…whoa!" Link fell as he stepped onto a huge spider web covering a giant hole in the base of the tree. "I can't get up!" he screamed as the thick strands clung to his arms, legs, and body.

"Calm down Link!" Navi called back. "Stop squirming or it will only restrict you more."

Remembering what the Great Deku Tree told him, Link calmed himself at Navi's words. Still shivering he thought to himself, _I hate spiders, I hate spiders, I hate spiders…_ He could feel himself rising slowly as Navi pulled on the back of his tunic. Opening his eyes, he saw what looked like water down below the web. "Navi, there's something down there!" Navi gave one last yank and Link came free of the still whole web. Immediately Link began brushing the strands of web off his body and clothes in the manner of a paranoid arachnophobic.

"What'd you see down there?" Navi inquired. "And what's wrong with you?"

Stopping in place and breathing heavily, Link breathed out, "I…hate…spiders…"

Dumbfounded, Navi asked, "You grew up in an insect infested forest and your telling me your afraid of spiders?"

"Lot's of Kokiri hate spiders!"

"Uh-huh…" Navi agreed sarcastically. "So what did you say you saw under the web?"

"Oh right," Link clapped his hands as he tried to remember. "It was water…a stream or pond or something…"

"Probably an aquifer," Navi informed him. "The Great Deku Tree is after all a tree…he needs to get water from somewhere. I'll bet any amount of rupees, we'll have to get down there."

"Why?"

"Well, it looks like something has infested the Great Deku Tree," Navi speculated. "All infestations attack the roots of their host. Since the Great Deku Tree's roots probably take water from the stream down there, that is probably where we'll gain access to them. This web is unusually thick and strong though…I don't think your sword will be able to cut it, so we'll have to burn it somehow. But that could endanger the Great Deku Tree so…"

"I'll jump through it," Link stated. Navi looked up and followed Link's gaze. Just above them was a platform that jutted out from the wall of the tree. It would be easy to jump onto the web from there. There was even an old ladder leading to it.

"I guess that could work," Navi admitted, though she wished she had thought of it. "Be careful though, if you miss the web…" but Link had already set off for the ladder. _That little brat!_ Spotting a threat, she turned yellow and flew over to Link's side as quickly as possible. "Link!"

Link looked up just as a Deku Baba rose from the ground and eyed Link greedily. "No problem," Link said confidently, as he drew his sword and shield. The monster launched at him snapping its jaws hungrily. Surprised, Link covered his face with his sword arm. A sharp pain in his left arm confirmed the monster's successful attack. Warm blood and saliva trickled down Link's arm as the creature's toothless jaws squeezed harder and harder on the boy's thin skin.

"Link close your eyes!" Navi ordered. Obeying Navi's command, Link forgot the pain and shut his eyes and seconds later, the pressure on his arm ceased. "Cut it down!" Link opened his eyes and saw the Deku Baba straightened up its jaws quivering. Quickly, Link took this advantage and cut the plant by the stem. Like the other Deku Baba's it flew into the air and landed head first into the ground.

"It attacked me," Link said incredulously.

"Well of course it did!" Navi scolded him. "The monsters you fought earlier were old and withered, that Deku Baba was younger."

"I couldn't tell," Link said quietly, holding his hurt arm.

"And next time…use your shield!" Navi continued to berate the young boy.

Link didn't like being scolded but he knew he deserved it. He vowed to himself that he'd be more careful from now on when fighting monsters. "That was a deku nut wasn't it? The thing you used to stop it?"

"Yes it was," Navi confirmed. "There's a whole bunch of them over by those weeds."

Link walked over to the weeds that Navi gestured to and cut them down with his sword. Navi was right; there were at least five deku nuts. Grabbing one of them Link said, "I remember I used to use these to blind Mido. He got used to it though and was able to tell when it was coming… I haven't used them since."

"Well they're pretty useful if you want to stun an enemy," Navi agreed. "You better grab as much as possible, they'll come in handy." After Link picked up the nuts and stored them in one of the pockets in his tunic, Navi took out a small necklace with three heart shaped charms. "I should have given this to you earlier," she admitted. She flew over Link and dropped the necklace around his neck. Immediately, the charms began to glow, though half of one heart remained dim.

"What is it?" Link asked curiously.

"It's a charm necklace. You can find those charms anywhere in Hyrule. It reacts to whoever wears it. Those hearts are an indicator of your strength and stamina. If all the hearts glow, it means your fine…no cuts, bruises, or wounds."

"What happens if they all fade?" Link asked skeptically.

"You die." Link froze with fright, there were only three charms on the necklace and already half of one was dim. "It helps you to determine your limits," Navi offered.

"I better be more careful…" Link observed. "C'mon, let's go." The two of them headed for the ladder that led to the first spiraling platform. Navi flew ahead and Link followed her along the path. Jumping over a small space between the platforms, Link finally made it to the jumping platform. "What's that?" he asked as he pointed to a small red object floating in mid-air.

"That is life energy," Navi explained. "The Great Deku Tree uses it to give you Kokiri eternal life as well as to care for the entire forest. It can be found anywhere life is abundant though like forests, towns, and villages. Some people can actually channel it and store it. Saria is one of those people. I saw a lot of life energy around her house in the village."

"Wow, I didn't know Saria could do that."

"Try to jump through it when as you land on the web, it should heal your wound." Nodding in comprehension, Link coiled his legs and readied himself for the fall. Link shot off from the platform and fell through the red energy, instantly healing the cut on his arm. Link brought his feet under him as he prepared to land but the spider web just stretched as it supported his weight. The web then recoiled and launched Link into the air and back toward the wall. The boy hit the wall with a sickening pop and slid toward the ground below. Navi caught the back of his tunic like she always did and let him down gently.

"AHHHHHH!" Link screamed in overwhelming pain as he wriggled around on the floor, his right shoulder dislocated. Navi noticed the limp arm and immediately attempted to reintroduce the shoulder to its empty socket. With another pop, the shoulder was relocated and Link started to calm down, though the pain was still immense. "That hurt…that really really hurt."

"The web is too strong," Navi speculated. "There's no way you can jump through that thing."

His breathing now regular and unlabored, Link disagreed with the fairy, "I can, I felt a few strands break…I just need to get higher."

"Are you crazy!" she demanded. "You got seriously hurt from only ten feet and you want to go higher?"

"The wall over there has a ton of vines on it," he gestured. "I'm sure I can climb up it and jump from the top."

"You're insane."

"Maybe I am," he admitted, "but I'm going to prove to you that I can do this." With that, he stood up and headed for another platform with vines growing up the side of it. Navi just stared after him in awe until she saw another Deku Baba that Link missed.

"Watch out!" she warned as the Deku Baba grew out of its hiding spot. It lunged at Link who did a back flip just like he learned in the training grounds. The monster fell short of its target as its stem kept it from reaching to far. It lied there snapping its jaws threateningly like a dog on a leash. Link struck its plump head and it straightened, screeching in pain. His next strike cut the stem of the plant and it fell to the ground like the others defeated. Link took the stem of the plant and, using some of the vines from the wall, tied it to the other deku stick he received outside the Deku Tree.

After this was done, he started to climb the vines up to the platform, putting as little weight on his right shoulder as possible. Navi was truly amazed at the maturity the boy showed when introduced to a serious situation. She pulled him up when he got to the top so that he didn't have to put much pressure on his shoulder.

Continuing along the winding platform, Link found a rather large wooden chest; much like the one he found the Kokiri sword in at the base of the vines. He would have run for it but he heard some kind of scuttling noise coming from above. When he looked up he saw a small spider with a skull on its back crawling along the vines. "What is that?"

"Skullwalltulla," Navi answered, "and there's more than one." Scanning the wall, Link counted at least three of the arachnids.

"Great, now what do I do?"

"Don't climb the wall," Navi warned. "If you get to close to them, they'll knock you off."

"Well they're too high up to reach with my sword," Link said. Eyeing the chest, Link walked under the first skullwalltulla. It didn't pursue him and, according to Navi, it wouldn't as long as he didn't get to close, so he continued up to the chest. The lid creaked as he opened it just like the other one and the same green light emanated from the inside. After hoisting himself up onto the edge, he was able to extract a single piece of old parchment from the chest. After examining it, he concluded it was a map of the Great Deku Tree. "But who could have made it?"

"Other fairies I would assume," Navi suggested, "but for what I have no idea." After scanning it again, Navi found that there were indeed rooms below the spider web as well as higher above them. "There are two more rooms down here," she gestured along the platform they were standing on. "Maybe you can find something to use to get rid of these spiders."

"I hope so," Link said shivering slightly. Rolling up the map, he tucked it into his belt and continued down the path to a wooden door. As they approached, the door slid up into the wall to allow them entrance. As they entered the room, the door slid shut, covered by multiple metal bars. "This can't be good…" Just as he said that, he heard a small crash next to him. He turned and saw the remainders of a deku nut lying at his side.

"Link!" Navi called urgently. Link spun and saw another nut flying at him. With a quick sidestep, Link drew his weapons and put up his shield just as another nut came flying at him. This time however, the nut bounced off his shield and hit the creature that had shot it. The plantlike creature jumped out of its hole in the middle of the room and ran wildly away from its attacker. "Corner it!" Navi shouted. Immediately, Link began pursuing his enemy. Eventually, Link managed to coral it in the corner of the room.

"What is it?" Link asked in disgust. It was a rather nasty looking creature. Its dwarfish round body was made of wood with a pattern of leaves on its head that must have been its hair. The leaves covered the top of its face which created an eerie look as its eyes glowed a bright yellow. Perhaps the most distinguishable feature was its round mouth that it used to shoot the deku nuts.

"Its called a Deku Scrub," Navi answered. "They're a cowardly bunch but intelligent nonetheless."

In a pleading voice it began to speak, "Ow-ow-ow! Forgive me master! If I teach you a trick, will you let me go?"

Link raised an eyebrow at the response. Unsure whether or not to trust it or not, Link consulted Navi who suggested he listen. "Okay…why not?"

"When you jump off a cliff," the Deku Scrub began, "roll when you land and you won't get hurt from the fall. I can't guarantee it will work, though, if the cliff is really really high, heh heh!" The deal complete, the Deku Scrub ran passed the stunned Kokiri and jumped back into its hole.

"Ooookay…" Link said confused. "Can we go now?" As if to comply with his request, the iron bars slid up from the door they entered from as well as the ones covering the door on the other side of the room. Refusing to look a gift horse in the mouth, Link hurried through the door and into the last room within reach.

Link still ran as the door slid shut behind him and was forced to jump due to the sudden end to the floor. He landed hard on a rotting platform suspended in the air which started to rumble. The boy quickly stood up and jumped for the other side of the room which actually had a floor. Rolling as he landed, Link gasped for breath as he was certain he would fall into a bottomless pit. However, a large crashing sound intrigued him so he rolled to the edge and peeked over. What he saw left his mouth agape as the remainders of the rotting platform where scattered on another floor below the one he was standing on. "Wow…sure wish I knew about that before I jumped…"

"Maybe if you would stop rushing through everything you'd notice these things before they happen," Navi criticized. "That platform was obviously too old to hold your weight and now you have no way of getting back across."

Link scanned the side of the room from which he had came and realized that Navi was right. The door was too high up for him to reach and the walls weren't covered in vines like the ones in the core of the Deku Tree. "What's that up there?" Link asked as he looked toward the ceiling, "Up in the webs…do you see it?"

"It looks like an old ladder…to bad it's all the way up there, you could have used it."

"I'm not so sure I can't," Link stated. Navi turned and found Link standing near an open chest, holding a slingshot and a leather pouch with thick strings around the top. "Maybe if I shoot it I can knock it loose."

"What will you use for bullets?" Navi inquired.

"There's a whole bunch of deku seeds in here," Link answered holding up the leather pouch. "These things are incredibly hard…I'll bet they'll work on those Skullwalltulla things too."

Navi knew he was right. Deku seeds were hard as rocks and could easily break the teeth of anything that tried to eat them. They could definitely knock the ladder down from the webs. "Okay," Navi said as she turned green again. "Aim right next to me." Navi flew over to the ladder, giving Link a target. Link loaded the slingshot and pulled back, taking careful aim so that he wouldn't hit Navi. When he was satisfied with his aim, he released a seed, hitting the ladder which shook a little. "You have to aim higher," she called to him, "where the web is wrapped around it!" Link nodded and reloaded his new weapon. This time his shot was aimed perfectly, as the ladder broke free and landed on the floor below.

His current task finished, Link stuck the handle of the slingshot into the bag of seeds and tied it to his belt. Then he jumped down to the floor below and set up the ladder so he could get to the door. Link climbed the ladder and exited, heading for the vine covered walls that he passed by earlier.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where is he?" Saria wondered as she sat on the edge of Link's balcony. "I didn't think it would take this long."

"Well don't worry about it," Nimo her fairy consulted her, "he's a brave kid, he'll be just fine."

"Why would bravery aid him?" Saria asked skeptically. "He's just talking to the Great Deku Tree." Nimo, turning bright red as he realized his folly, promptly attempted to change the subject but failed. "You know something!" Saria exclaimed. "Out with it! What's going on?"

"Nothing that you need concern yourself with," Nimo answered.

"Nimo…Link is my best friend. If something is going to happen to him, I want to know."

Reluctant to answer, Nimo asked, "Are you sure?" Saria nodded her head in the affirmative and Nimo let out a long sigh. "Then listen up and don't interrupt, this could take a while…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is way too high!" Navi exclaimed as Link neared the top of the Great Deku Tree.

"Oh c'mon Navi," Link chided, "where's your sense of adventure?" Only moments ago Link had disposed of the three wall crawling monsters Navi called Skullwalltullas. Of course, he had to use almost half of his ammo to do it as he wasn't all that proficient with the slingshot yet. Link dropped down to a wooden platform below him, surrounded by a wall of web. "Whew, it sure is a long way down."

"Forget this," Navi exclaimed. "There is no way I'm gonna let you jump from this height." Link had already moved on however, oblivious to Navi's complaints. _Goddesses this kids getting on my nerves!_

"Ahhh!" Navi heard Link scream and she darted for the source, afraid he had fallen off the platform. When she found him, he was lying against the wall, and across from him a giant spider with a skull on its back finished his spinning attack.

"You okay?" she asked as Link stood up; half of one of his heart charms was dark again. Link didn't answer her as he lunged in anger at this new foe. Striking it with his sword, the spider withdrew inside the skull, causing it to swing back and forth like a pendulum. "Stop!" Navi ordered. "This is a Skulltulla, the adult version of those things you shot off the wall earlier. Just wait, it sees you as a meal. It will turn its belly to you to entice you, that's when you strike." Link waited as Navi's words came true. The spider, growing aggravated as its meal kept its distance, turned its vulnerable underside to Link. The boy jumped into the air and slashed the monster's underside, green ooze seeping out of the cut. The spider fell from its web and plummeted down to the floor so many feet below.

"Thanks Navi," Link said.

After a long sigh of relief, Navi asked, "What did I tell you about rushing into things?" Once again her protests went unheard as Link was already going through the next door. "Wait!" she called as she flew for the door, getting through just in time. Just as before, the door slid shut with iron bars blocking the way back.

"Well…I guess I should get used to that…" Link commented as he stepped forward. "Alright, let's see, I bet if I step on those circles…"

"Hold it!" Navi growled as she pulled on the back of his tunic. "Every time you rush into something, you wind up getting hurt…this time, why don't you look around a bit, see what you're up against."

With a sort of half-smile, Link surveyed the room. It was basically a large rectangular area with two raised platforms on either end separated by a sunken floor. On the floor in the middle, were three circles, about the same size, stretching from one end to the other in a zigzag pattern. On his side of the room, Link spotted two metal torches. One of which had a simple steel frame; the other, was plated in gold. There was also a small raised platform near the golden torch. "What's that?" Link asked, gesturing toward the platform.

"I…don't really know," Navi admitted. "There's only one way to find out…"

"My thoughts exactly," Link agreed without hearing what she had to say. Before Navi could stop him, Link jumped onto the platform which sunk easily into the ground. Catching his balance, Link backed off of the platform to see if it would rise back into place. Instead, however, the three circles in the gap next to him rose out of the ground forming platforms. "Awsome!" Link yelled in excitement. Without hesitation, Link hopped to the first of the three circles.

"Don't you know the meaning of caution?" Navi asked sarcastically as she caught up to him.

"I'm a kid, of course not!" he answered as he jumped to the second platform and then immediately to the third. Eyeing a chest at the end of the room, Link leapt off the third platform, rolling as he landed. Laughing, he turned to Navi and said, "That was fun! I'd like to do that again!" Navi looked a little exasperated but said nothing because the boy was unhurt. Link stood up and went to the chest which looked like the just like the others: big, old, and wooden. The same bright light poured out as he opened it which started to annoy him. It made it impossible to see what was inside and he was getting tired of being surprised. This time though, the object made a beeping sound, making it easy to locate. Link pulled a small blue compass out of the chest and examined it annoyingly due to the beeping sound.

"Why won't this thing shut up?" Link demanded of nobody.

"I don't know," Navi admitted, "but it's going to be hard to avoid enemies if it keeps making that infernal noise!"

A loud noise ensued from behind the two pair and echoed throughout the entire room…the circular platforms were sinking! "What's going on?" Link questioned.

"That switch near the door…" Navi began. "It must have made the platforms rise temporarily." Link took no more hesitation as he hurriedly jumped to the first descending platform. Navi helped to steady Link's landing so he could jump to the second platform immediately.

_I won't make it…_Link thought to himself as he landed on the second platform. Navi flew ahead of him and waited by the last platform expecting him to jump right away but he hesitated. "Now's not the time to linger!" the fairy yelled to the boy, annoyed that he choose this time to heed her cautions. Then she saw why he had stopped. There was a small, dark alcove to Link's right; one that he had missed earlier.

Link jumped through the alcoves opening, falling hard on his knees. Pulling himself up to his feet, he froze as he heard that dreadful scuttling sound again near the back of the alcove. _No…not another spider…_ His thoughts were cut off as a Skulltulla grabbed his ankle from behind and started to pull him up to the ceiling. Link flailed around in the spider's grip for a short time before he remembered his sword. He drew his weapon and slashed the monster, causing them both to tumble toward the ground. Giving the monstrosity no time to recover, Link jumped and lunged his sword into his enemy's belly, green goo spilling form the cut.

Link fell backward and sat against some kind of mound to hold him up. There were now two beeping sounds that no doubt alerted the monster to his presence. One he knew was the compass, which was beeping uncontrollably. The other he was unsure of until he looked down at his heart charms…only one was left alight. Navi flew into the alcove as she saw Link defeat the creature. With a gasp she said, "Link! Your charms…you've been acting too reckless. Unless your wounds heal, those things will emanate that horrible sound."

"Heh…I'm fine, don't worry about me," Link lied in a weak voice. He went to push off the mound he was leaning against but its top flew backwards and his armpit crashed hard on the lip of what seemed to be a small wooden chest. Link peered inside, holding his hand under his arm in some futile attempt to control the pain he felt. Inside, much to their alleviation was more of that red life energy the Deku Tree seemed to be filled with. A smile swept across Link's face as he set eyes on the ruby light which spread throughout his entire body as he stuck his hand through it. Almost immediately, the scrapes on his knees and the spider bite on his leg vanished as the skin melted together leaving not so much as a scar.

"What a relief," Link mused, "I thought I was gonna have to walk around with that bite on my leg."

"There wouldn't have been a bit on your leg if you hadn't been so careless…" Navi said exasperatingly. "Well, at least the charms stopped beeping…"

"And so has the compass." Link finished. Link's face seemed to glow as he realized how the compass worked. "I get it now! The closer you are to a chest, the quicker it makes that noise. Since I opened the chest, it stopped."

"Yeah…I guess that makes sense," Navi agreed, once again surprised at how intelligent this stupid boy could be. "Now all we have to do is figure out how to get you back to the door, because the platforms…" The fairy stopped short as a familiar scuttling sound resonated throughout the small alcove.

"I…I thought I killed the spider…" Link said shakily as he turned to check on the dead body of the Skulltulla. Seeing that the limp body of the giant spider was still behind him, dripping green ooze, Link looked back toward the inside of the alcove. "So where is it coming from?"

"It sounds like it's coming from further inside," Navi suggested.

"You go first," Link said shakily. "You know, so you could light whatever it is up."

"Well aren't you the little gentleman?" Navi asked sarcastically. Although annoyed with Link's cowardice, she flew ahead anyway, knowing full well that Link was right.

Navi slowly moved ahead of Link lighting up the alcove around her. It didn't take long for her to find the cause of the sound as the alcove wasn't very deep. Navi let out a small yelp as she realized that she had never seen this kind of monster before. It was definitely a Skullwalltulla, yet it didn't have the ivory skulls over its back like the others did. Instead, this one's skull glowed golden in the light Navi gave off from her body. It didn't attack; at least it didn't seem to show interest in such a small fairy. It just stood there on the wall, spinning around in place.

"You okay Navi?" Link asked as he heard her strange cry.

"Yeah I'm fine…come here, quickly!" she ordered.

Link walked toward her dutifully, unsure of what would require his immediate attention. He stopped short though, at the sight of the giant spider. "Wha…Wha…What is that?" he stammered.

"I don't know…" Navi admitted. "It's like a Skullwalltulla, but with a golden skull."

"What should we do about it?" Link inquired.

"Kill it of course!" Navi answered incredulously. "What kind of stupid question is that?"

A little taken aback by the criticism, Link stepped forward slowly, sword in hand. He only needed to slash it twice before it disappeared in a puff of black smoke, leaving the golden skull behind. "Take it," Navi said.

"Are you nuts?" Link asked. "I'm not touching that thing!"

"It's made of gold pea brain!" Navi retorted. "It'll be worth something. Besides, there aren't that many monsters that leave behind useful things. If one does though, chances are you're best off taking it."

Reluctantly, Link bent down to pick up the golden skull. It wasn't how he'd expected it to feel. It was glassy, not in the least bit coarse at all. Even its underside was perfectly smooth; no ooze or blood like he expected after it had been on the spider.

Link had become bewitched by the mystical object in his hands. He almost didn't hear Navi when she called his name, "Link!" The boy's consciousness was focused again, but still he remained silent, merely turning his head to look back at the ball of light floating over his shoulder. "Will you snap out of it? We have to figure out how you are getting back through that door remember?"

Without a word, Link pocketed the small skull and ran back toward the edge of the alcove, jumping over the dead Skulltulla on the way. "So how do you plan on getting out of here?" Navi asked skeptically. "I hope you don't expect me to fly you over…Where did he go?" Navi looked around to find Link who had left her side. When she found him, he was heading back toward the small wall by the door. She flushed as she realized that vines where growing up the side of it; ones he could climb to get to the door. The color of the light surrounding her tiny body changed immediately from red to yellow, however, as she realized what else was in the corner. "Link! Watch out!"

A Deku Baba rose out of the ground, readying its lunge at Link, jaws snapping. With a nimble dodge, the dark plant got nothing but a jaw of wood. Link jumped into the air, brining the edge of his sword down on the plant's "head," decapitating it. Navi was stunned. She had never seen the boy react so quickly and decisively. Perhaps this little journey was having some affect on the boy after all. As Link began to climb the vines, the flower's petals shriveled instantly, revealing three small Deku Nuts. Navi grabbed them as Link made it to the top of the platform he had started at. Link thanked Navi as she placed them, carefully, into his palm; he pocketed them too.

"So…now what?" Link inquired. The bars covering the door were still in place. Evidently, activating the switch hadn't changed that.

"They've got to be enchanted in someway," Navi offered. "There must be some task you have yet to complete in order to exit." With that, the fairy began to look around. There wasn't much in the room. He had already opened that two chests in the room and jumped across the platforms. Besides the alcove and the platform on the opposite end, there were no other places he could get to. Apart from the chests, there was nothing else in the alcove or on the other platform. "It must be something on this side of the room."

At Navi's words, Link eyed the torch frames. "Maybe we have to put that flame out," Link suggested. "This one has no flame in it," Link explained motioning to the unadorned steel, "so maybe we have to douse that one too."

"Possibly, but…" Navi flew toward the unlit torch, hovering just above the frame. "Just as I thought, come here Link." Link rushed over, eager to hear what his guide had discovered. "Smell that, the ash? This torch was lit recently. Instead of extinguishing that flame, try lighting this one with one of your Deku Sticks." Link nodded his head in comprehension and took a Deku Stick from the bundle he made earlier. Lighting one end of the stick, he carefully brought it over to the unlit torch but hesitated in lighting it. "What's wrong?" Navi asked.

"There's nothing to fuel the fire," Link observed. "How will it stay lit?"

"It's enchanted remember?" Navi asked aggregately. "Just light it before your Deku Stick burns up." Link looked up at the stick and realized that it was burning quite fast. Quickly Link touched the top of the Deku Stick to the top of the frame. The fire ignited immediately causing the metal bars over the door to slide back up into the wall. Dropping the rapidly burning stick, Link ran through the door, Navi following close behind.

"Finally got out of there…" Link sighed. "Well I guess all that's left is to jump…"

"Whoa wait!" Navi ordered. "You were serious about that? I'm not letting you jump! What if you miss the web or it doesn't break? You've gotta be at least one hundred feet up!"

"You got any better ideas?" Link asked patronizingly. "Listen…this is the only way I can think of to break that web. The strands are too thick and sticky for my sword's blades and I can't burn it away. I have to jump." Navi began to debate the situation but Link walked to the edge of the floor overlooking the whole of the Great Deku Tree's interior. Looking up, Link could see a few Skulltullas entangled in the web above, watching in anticipation for his leap. Before jumping, the boy turned to the now shaking fairy. "You realize you can't catch me this time…" Navi nodded slowly as Link stared back down the center of the tree. His legs coiled as he thrust himself out into open air. The spiders lunged at him but were batted away by the ferocious Navi as Link seemed to become suspended in the air. Then down he plunged, the air racing passed his freefalling body, pushing his air and tunic toward the ceiling. _Please let this work…_ Link thought to himself as he fell, hoping that the web would buckle under his weight…

**So what do you think? I'm sorry once again that it took so long but I had other things to deal with. I hope you liked my first _action packed_ chapter. The next one probably won't be up for a while but I'll do my best. See you later. Oh and I'd appreciate it if you reviewed my story as well. Thank you.**


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